"A couple empty seats compared to what I'm used to, but the fans were great and they got loud. Obviously very knowledgeable," Steckel said of the Prudential Center crowd of 12,857. "It's a great atmosphere."

"The first period I think I remember about two seconds," he said. "I think I was trying not to make any mistakes, trying to play within the system. I think once I stopped thinking about thinking, I was alright.

"I got pucks deep, got in, got a couple of hits. I played more of my game, I thought."

Coach Jacques Lemaire said of Steckel: "I think he's fine. It's funny, I don't like his shape (physical conditioning) right now. He's going to get in better shape. I know he didn't practice for two days prior to our practice yesterday. I think he'll be fine."

A top faceoff man who entered the game with a 63.7 win percentage, Steckel won four of the 12 draws he took (33 percent).

Steckel said he must adjust to the Devils' style.

"It's kind of tough. You try to play the right system but you don't actually know until you see yourself (on video). Hopefully I'll be able to watch this game and I'll have more of an understanding of what I should be and shouldn't be doing and go from here.

"I thought it was a decent starting point and we got a win tonight, so I'm pretty excited about that."

He said the atmosphere around the Devils is the same as he experienced when the Capitals came storming down the stretch to claim a playoff spot that seemed out of reach a few years back.

"I was part of the Caps when we did this three years ago and you can tell it's about the same atmosphere," he explained. "Guys are a little more loose. There is really no pressure to win yet and guys are handling it well.

"They responded great after what I thought was a lucky break, off a skate for a goal. Came back and scored two and held them off."

* * *

Goalie Martin Brodeur, whom Lemaire called "very sharp," made 15 saves. He said the Devils still cannot worry about the eighth-place Hurricanes, who are nine points ahead in the playoff race.

"We take one step forward and one step back when we don't play. We wish we could play every day. It's nine points. That's a lot of points."

Yet Lemaire feels that by beating the Lightning three out if four times this season it's a good measuring stick for the Devils.

"It gives us a good idea where we're at," he said. "I feel Tampa is among the top teams in the league."

And where are they?

"Playing good," Lemaire answered.

* * *

Jacob Josefson centered a line with Vladimir Zharkov and Mattias Tedenby and impressed Lemaire.

"This kid played really well," Lemaire said. "He's young, he's learning. He played much better than on the wing. He's a centerman, he's not a winger. They were telling me this, but because (Jason) Arnott is gone now I have the chance to put him at center.

"With Arnie (as the Devils' third line center) he had to go on the wing and he wasn't playing as well. Hopefully he'll keep going."

Of course, even with Arnott leaving, the Devils got a center back in Steckel.

On the Devils' first power play, Lemaire used four rookies (Josefson, Mattias Tedenby, Nick Palmieri, Mark Fayne) and Kovalchuk. He said he's never done that before.

"No. That's how it happened with the lineup we have right now," Lemaire said. "I think it's good for them. They get exposure an they can grow."

* * *

Travis Zajac set up Ilya Kovalchuk's winning goal.

"Travis has been among the most consistent players on our team," Lemaire said. "Very quiet, he plays always the same. Stays in shape, give everything he has every practice and every game. He's been really, really good for us."